Reinventing the iron anchor

[Mr T.]

Posted on Sun, May. 22, 2005


Reinventing the iron anchor


Sanctuary seeks ocean-friendly designs

By SUSAN D. BROWN

Herald Correspondent


The floor of Monterey Bay is becoming littered with scrap iron used to anchor an increasing array of ocean sensors.

Iron railroad wheels are a current favorite for securing moorings against currents and swell, but after several years they can sink deep into the bottom. The extra oomph required to yank them out is more than most winches and cables can handle safely, so they're often left behind.

That's a concern for Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Superintendent William Douros who is concerned about the cumulative effect of so much debris.

In a wide-open competition, the sanctuary and Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute are looking for innovative new ocean-friendly designs.

They encourage anyone to submit a design that could either be retrieved safely or would degrade harmlessly.

"We're hoping for someone looking at this from a totally different perspective," Douros said.

The sanctuary has put up $800 in prize money, $400 each for a retrievable design and an environmentally friendly anchor that could be abandoned.

Engineers at MBARI will work to perfect, build and test the winning designs.

"They are a partner in this exercise," Douros said of MBARI. "They are all about innovation and technology."

The sponsors asked entrants to supply drawings and descriptions, but weren't looking for a professional presentation.

"We didn't want to eliminate people without a technical background," said MBARI operations manager Mandy Allen, who is coordinating the contest.

At 16, Ashton Smith of Cupertino is the youngest entrant. The Homestead High School sophomore confessed he was putting off doing his homework by researching marine biology programs when he saw a contest notice online.

"I like the ocean, scuba diving and fishing," Smith said. "With the ocean, I'm constantly learning something new. I tend to get bored in school. But learning about the ocean is endless."

The buoyancy compensating devices, or BCDs, and weights worn by divers inspired Smith's anchor design. He has proposed a giant balloon made out of strong rubber or Kevlar that would be filled with lead pellets.

"It looks like a demented Pokemon," he said.

A canister of compressed air would control buoyancy through a remotely triggered valve. The balloon wouldn't have to be pulled all the way onto the boat, Smith said. It could do double duty as a bumper to protect the side of the ship.

If he wins, Smith will put his prize money toward dive gear.

Bill Watson, 64, was also inspired by his long interest in diving. Watson worked as a mechanical engineer in the aerospace industry. Now he's working on a master's degree in physical oceanography at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories studying tides in Elkhorn Slough. He also works there three days a week designing equipment for faculty and students.

Lift bags used by salvage divers inspired Watson's anchor design.

"It's sort of Jules Verne-ish," he said.

He started with the favored iron railroad wheel and attached a 2-foot-wide, 5-foot-high drum to the top. Bottles of compressed air surround his contraption, linked by an acoustically triggered valve.

Watson isn't really thinking about the prize money.

"I'm mainly hoping I don't embarrass myself," he said, hoping he hasn't made a mistake in his buoyancy calculations.

A successful design could be widely adopted as observation platforms proliferate along both coasts and the Gulf of Mexico.

"The ocean-observing concept feels like a real trend in ocean science and ocean management," Douros said. "A good design will spread very quickly among scientists."